story5242.xml

story5242.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I am a social worker in Silver Lake Specialized Care Center, a rehabilitation and respiratory facility on the North Shore of Staten Island...where the back windows face downtown Manhattan. I came into work late that day, having stopped at the bank on my way in, but I heard a loud boom while waiting on line at the drive thru. I erroneously thought that it was a construction site across the street, not knowing what had happened. But by the time I got to work, I began to realize. I witnessed the smoking towers, and the fall of the first tower...something I will never forget!!!!! Other co-workers witnessed the planes hitting and the fall of the second tower, as well. One co-workers husband was among the missing, and when the first tower fell, she fainted. Thankfully, he walked all the way to Brooklyn, and eventually contacted her. Another co-workers daughter, also walked to safety and just last month gave birth to a miracle baby girl!!! Sadly, one of my co-workers lost her brother. Our hearts and prayers go out to her and her family, as well as to all the others who suffered great loss at this time. I live on the South Shore of Staten Island, just up the street from the Great Kills Land Fill. My family and I witnessed, every day, the tents set up there and the debris, and the bright lights on all night long, as the recovery effort went on and on. We often saw large dump trucks on the expressway loaded with twisted steel and metal beams. Overall, I must say, the whole experience was unbelievable.